intertwine
by lost soul of silver
Summary: Now... they are comfortable, affectionate, and completely in love. Nothing is weird between them anymore. ...Except for maybe one thing: hand-holding. (Shouto/Izuku)


**Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia and never will. This is a story I wrote just for fun as a fan of My Hero Academia.**

**A/N: I hope y'all like hands cuz you're about to see them mentioned 45,000+ times**

* * *

**intertwine**

Shouto Todoroki has been acting… _weird_.

Being an over-observant over-thinker is both a blessing and a curse for Izuku Midoriya. His in-depth thought processes allow him to excel in nearly every class, and that on top of his keen observation skills and cleverness had helped him in so many run-ins with villains thus far, like the villains in the Shipwreck Zone at the USJ and Stain in Hosu City.

But, when it comes to everything outside of hero training and school, those skills cause him _a lot _of anxiety. Especially with personal relationships.

Especially with his boyfriend, Shouto.

Izuku knew from day one that Shouto is very reserved, and given what he has told Izuku of his upbringing, he has every good reason to be. Surprisingly, that didn't cause too many issues with their relationship that has spanned nine months now. Sure, Shouto often bottled up his troubles and Izuku had to sometimes press his boyfriend to make him open up, but otherwise, they quickly adapted in the transition from friends to romantic partners.

After all, their friendship had built from the trust that developed between them―one of the key components in the foundation of any healthy relationship.

That trusting bond brought them so far, through so many of the early, awkward stages of dating. Shouto confessing his feelings to Izuku at the Musutafu Summer Festival had left them both stammering messes. The first kiss was painful, as Izuku had become so overwhelmed by nerves that he had smashed their faces together, nearly breaking both his and Shouto's noses. And, it took about three months for Shouto to adjust to hugging and cuddling without setting them both ablaze.

Now... they are comfortable, affectionate, and completely in love. Nothing is weird between them anymore.

...Except for maybe one thing: hand-holding.

Izuku has been _desperately _trying to break down that barrier ever since the first date but to no avail. No matter how casually or subtly he tries to do it, whether it be by brushing pinkies with Shouto while watching movies, or slipping their hands together while kissing, or running his hand down his boyfriend's arm toward his wrist to intertwine their fingers…

The moment his own hands or fingers ever so slightly graze Shouto's, he _always _jerks away.

And even though they're usually so open and honest with each other, Izuku gets blown off every time he tries to ask Shouto about that reaction. Every time, his hetero-chromatic eyes shift away, and he casually changes the subject to something different. Such behavior is _very _odd for him.

_He won't blow it off this time, _Izuku tells himself, as he and Shouto enter the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. Every few seconds, green eyes skeptically glance down at his boyfriend's left hand, swaying slightly at his side as he ambles. _I won't let him…!_

Trying to be casual, Izuku picks up his pace to catch up with Shouto. The back of his right hand brushes with the other boy's left; it twitches in response to the brief contact.

He sneaks a glance at Shouto's face. Unreadable, as he almost always is.

As if acting on its own, Izuku's hand jolts out and snatches Shouto's around his first four knuckles, grasping it in a more aggressive manner than he intended to.

_At least he can't escape it, _he thinks, somewhat anxious, somewhat smug.

Suddenly, Shouto comes to a complete stop and whips his body around to face Izuku. In the same motion, his hand slips from the shorter boy's hold.

_Dammit..._

"What did you need to come here for again?" he asks, completely nonchalant.

The mood shift catches Izuku off-guard. It snaps him back to reality, and he tries to push aside his disappointment to refocus on the task at hand. "O-oh! Uh, erm… what was it again?" His brow furrows in thought as he presses a finger to his chin. Then, his face lights up. "_Right_! I needed to get some extra rope for the School Festival, so we don't have another incident like last year. And maybe while I'm at it, I could get some more notebooks, too. My current hero analysis notebook is almost out of pages for notes."

"Not surprising, considering how often you're jotting down information in that thing," Shouto replies with a playful smirk. "Come to think of it, I've been meaning to come here to find some fire-retardant clothing myself."

"That's a good idea! You never know if you'll have to use your flames while you're, say, out grocery shopping or something." _Flames… _Izuku pauses for a moment at the thought. _I was trying to grab his left hand, so maybe… he's just scared of accidentally burning me? If I try grabbing the right, would he―_

"Exactly. I'm tired of ruining all my nice shirts due to unexpected villain attacks..."

Izuku giggles, forcing a grin. It's so hard to tell―is Shouto _genuinely _this oblivious to his efforts to hold his hand, or is he just this good at playing dumb? Thoughtful, green eyes wander to the eastern half of the mall, where the food court resides. His brain starts to calculate his next move.

"Hey, before we take care of business, you wanna grab lunch? I'm starving."

"I was about to suggest the same, actually."

"_Yay_!" Flashing an enthusiastic smile, he prances around Shouto to be on his right side, heading toward the food court. Izuku's giddiness is a little over the top, he realizes, but it is the only reasonable method he could come up with to test his new theory. "C'mon, babe!" he says, his left hand reaching out toward Shouto's right. He manages to grab ahold of it to pull him along behind him. "Let's hurry!"

"O-okay." Shouto blinks, clearly puzzled by his boyfriend's sudden eagerness but still proceeds to follow along.

Even so, his hand roughly swings downward to free himself from Izuku's grip.

The shock from this is enough to make Izuku drop his facade, stop dead in his tracks, and face him. Shouto freezes.

"What's your problem?!" The question comes out harsher than Izuku intends, but he's so frustrated by the other boy's confusing actions that he doesn't care. He looks at him, hurt and confusion glazing over his normally bright eyes.

However, Shouto just stares back, expression still unreadable aside from a slightly quirked eyebrow.

"I… don't have a problem."

"_Really_?"

"Y-yeah… Is something wrong?"

"_Could ask _you _the same thing," _is what Izuku wants to retort with, but the words catch in his throat.

For his boyfriend to behave in such a cold manner toward him and then act completely oblivious about it… it left his head spinning with so many questions, ones that he now realizes will be left unanswered. His heart tightens in his chest. He can feel his eyes burning.

Wanting to drop the issue and hide his emotions, he quickly turns away. "I'm fine. It's nothing. Let's just… go get food."

Not even waiting for a reply, he proceeds toward the food court, eyes downcast to concentrate on his red high-tops rather than the tears brimming along his lower lashline. _Don't cry, dammit..._

To his left, he notices Shouto's own gray sneakers catch up to his pace. As they walk in silence, Izuku's eyes flicker between their feet and Shouto's right hand at his side.

_He doesn't even want me holding his _right _hand… I don't understand. It's not like his ice powers would hurt me. Maybe he just doesn't like publicly displaying affection, but… he pulls his hands away from me even when it's just us together. Whatever the reason is, why can't he just―_

"Izuku?" Shouto's gentle voice and soft-yet-firm hand on Izuku's shoulder pulls him from his thoughts. They stop in their tracks, and Shouto tilts his head down in a vain effort to meet Izuku's gaze. "What's wrong?"

Izuku hadn't even notice the waterworks that were now trickling down his freckled cheeks and dripping from his chin. He quickly wipes them away with his palms as panicked thoughts clog his brain, and his heart hammers in his chest.

If his tears hadn't betrayed him, he would've just suppressed these feelings before bringing the issue back up with Shouto later, when they were back at the dorms and alone together. But now, he's on the verge of making a scene, crying his eyes out while Shouto's soft, mismatched pair plead for Izuku to open up… while hordes of strangers walk past them.

He doesn't want to confront him at the mall, of all places, but…

"I… C-can we―" Izuku begins in a wavering voice, before a sob makes the words clog up in his throat. His head jerks up and to the right, immediately coming across an entryway to an adjacent hallway, where he catches a glimpse of vending machines, a restroom, and most importantly, no people.

Wordlessly, he grabs Shouto by his forearm and rushes him into the hallway. He leads them to the wall about halfway down the corridor before stopping and facing him.

Shouto's worried eyes watch a sniffling Izuku wipe away the wetness on his face with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. "Izuku, can you tell me what's wrong? Please?" He pauses, a thoughtful look crossing his facial features. "Was it… something I did?"

"_Obviously_," Izuku snaps, pulling his arm away from his face to scowl at the other boy. His green irises contrast with the red puffiness of his eyes, boldly popping out with an intense mix of negative emotion.

Shouto had seen that look many times before, but never directed at _him_, and it makes him flinch.

Seeing his reaction, Izuku looks away to focus on relaxing his face and body, and to keep his thoughts in order, before speaking. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. But―"

His hands reach up to run through his messy green hair. Involuntarily, his elbows lock in place on either side of his head to form a "guard"―something he tends to do when incredibly anxious around another person. "I'm just… so _confused_, Shouto. I don't understand… Why won't you―" His voice wavers, forcing him to stop. Heat rises into his face.

It's just a simple question, but running it through in his head again, it sounds so silly.

"...Let you hold my hand?" Shouto offers hesitantly. "Is that what you're trying to ask?"

Izuku's gaze snaps back to the other boy to find that his own eyes are looking downward, halfway covered by his eyelids. He can't read the emotion behind them… _Guilt? Fear? Worry?_

"Y-yeah. That's exactly it." _So, being oblivious before really was just an act… _He swallows, slowly returning his arms to his sides and balling his fists. "Shouto… you don't _have _to hold my hand if you don't want to. I'm sorry for being so forceful about it, if it's something that you're uncomfortable with, but… can you at least give me a reason why? I just want to understand..."

Shouto remains silent. He shifts uncomfortably from side to side, still avoiding Izuku's eyes.

"Is it… something that happened with Endeavor? Or, is it me? Are my hands just too rough? Or―"

"...I've already told you the reason."

Izuku flinches. "You… have?"

"Yeah, kind of." Shouto's gaze flickers up to meet Izuku's, only for a fraction of a second before shifting away again. One of his hands awkwardly rubs at his neck. "I guess you don't remember, though…"

Izuku's mind is already skipping back through his every memory with Shouto, both as lovers and as friends, desperately trying to pinpoint a moment when the topic may have previously come up. He frowns and shakes his head when he cannot recall anything. "I'm sorry, Shouto, but I don't… Refresh me?"

Still looking away, Shouto sighs. "Remember when we were in the hospital, after the Hosu incident?"

"Yes…" _How could I forget?_

"Well, I had brought it up after Iida told us his test results, how he has permanent nerve damage in his left hand and needs surgery if he ever wants it to move properly again…" Something changes about Shouto's eyes as he recounts the moment; Izuku manages to read the emotion this time: _anguish_. "Seeing both you and Iida there in front of me, with your messed-up hands, it… made me realize something. And that's when I told you… that whenever I get involved, it seems the people around me end up hurting their hands."

Recollecting the memory of that day lit a light bulb in Izuku's brain. "_Oh_! You mean that 'Hand Crusher' thing that you said?" He can't help but chuckle remembering the comment, and how hard he and Iida had laughed after hearing it at the time.

However, Shouto's face remains dead serious. The sad look is still present in his eyes, as well, and this time they're directed straight at Izuku.

A stinging pain hits his heart; his face falls as his laughter subsides. "Oh, you were… being completely serious when you said that?"

Shouto nods solemnly.

Izuku's throat burns, as if having laughed at his boyfriend's pain were reminiscent of swallowing acid. The memory of cackling alongside Iida in the hospital room, while Shouto stared at his own hand with a horrified look on his face, resurfaces in his mind.

Tears well in his eyes as realization hits. Words begin spilling out of his mouth, so quickly that they meld together and come out almost incomprehensible: "_Oh my god you really did tell me and you were seriously upset at that moment and all I did was laugh at you I'm horrible I'm so sorry Shou―_"

"_Izuku_." His word vomit comes to a halt when Shouto's hands land upon his shoulders. Mismatched eyes, paired with a weak smile, meet with Izuku's wide green ones. "Please don't beat yourself up about it. It was just a misunderstanding. It's okay."

Izuku's mouth presses into a tight line, cheeks turning slightly pink as Shouto wipes the tears from his eyes with a single finger. "Shouto…"

Hesitantly, he reaches for the hand that is touching his face. Delicately, as if Shouto would break under his touch, Izuku encloses his hand around Shouto's to where their hands are perpendicular to each other and loosely grasps it.

He jerks slightly at the contact, wincing, but Izuku just squeezes his hand with reassurance. "Shouto, it's okay," he whispers, smiling and looking into his boyfriend's eyes. "Listen…" He raises his free hand, the one with the crooked fingers and decorated with scars, for Shouto to see. "_This _was my fault. _I'm _the one who shattered my bones and made my hand look like this."

A soft, humorless chuckle escapes Shouto's lips. "Yeah, but you did that while fighting _me_ at the Sports Festival, trying to make me realize something that was obvious…"

"So? That doesn't make it _your _fault. And Iida hurting his hand was Stain's fault. Do you realize that much worse would've happened to him―and me―if _you _hadn't shown up? You're _not _the 'Hand Crusher' that you think you are."

As Izuku spoke, his hand grew tighter around Shouto's, as if trying to embed his own words deep into his skin, to ensure he'd never forget it. "You're not cursed, Shouto. You're the most selfless, dedicated, beautiful person I've ever met. And… it's silly, but I want nothing more but to hold your hand everywhere we go to make sure everyone can see that you're _my _person, and I'm―" His voice falters as tears build in his eyes, his emotions choking him up. Still, he manages to keep his dazzling grin plastered on his face, never breaking his gaze from the mismatched gray and blue eyes that stared back at him in awe. "I'm _so _happy to be with you."

They're silent for a few moments, Shouto being left stunned by Izuku's passionate rambling while the other just enjoys the simple yet intimate sensation of _finally _holding his boyfriend's strong hand in his.

Shouto's mouth suddenly captures Izuku's in a deep kiss, and he nearly falls back. Once he overcomes the initial shock, green eyes close to take in the softness of Shouto's lips, his free hand gliding from his chest, up his shoulder, and around the back of his neck to entangle in his silky, half-red, half-white hair.

The two hands that are grasped together move in sync to adjust their hold, palms pressing against each other as fingers lace together, fitting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle.

"I love you." Shouto pulls away for only a moment to whisper the three words before kissing his love again, ravishing his mouth with his own. "I love you, Izuku."

Izuku chuckles as he lightly and reluctantly pushes his boyfriend away from him. "I love you, too, babe. But, remember… we're still in public." He shoots a nervous glance behind Shouto at a mother walking in their direction, likely heading for the restrooms, with a small child attached to her hand and a slightly disgusted scowl directed at the teenage couple.

"R-right…" A light shade of red dusts over Shouto's cheeks at the realization, and he draws away from Izuku's body, keeping their hands intertwined. Sighing, his sincere eyes lock with Izuku's. "Izuku, I'm sorry… for not just being open with you about this to begin with. It was wrong, as was the way I treated you while avoiding the subject. I should've considered how much my actions would hurt you…"

Smiling warmly, Izuku squeezes Shouto's hand in his again; this time, it prompts a slight simper from his boyfriend, making his own grin widen. "Thank you, Shouto. It's okay now; we can move past this."

"Yeah…" Almost absent-mindedly, Shouto's thumb brushes back and forth across Izuku's, sending a slight shiver throughout his body. "This feels… nice."

Within his chest, Izuku can feel his heart bursting with warmth. Tears of joy brim in his green eyes as he looks down at their intertwined hands.

"It sure does."

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**A/N: Yeah, that ending was rushed. Lol _oh well_.**

**I'm sure the whole "Todoroki is the Hand Crusher and therefore refuses to hold hands with anyone" thing has been done numerous times but I wanted to do my own take on it. It kinda bugged me when Izuku and Iida just laughed at Todoroki, when he seemed pretty serious about blaming his friends for getting hurt. I mean, Todoroki's a victim of abuse, and in most cases abuse victims tend to blame themselves for things that they didn't even directly cause...**

**Also Horikoshi plz let Izuku and Shouto be on a first-name basis with each other _I need it_**

**Thank you for reading, and leave a review if you'd like! I love hearing thoughts and feelings on my stories! :)**

**~Hayley**


End file.
